Autumn Leaving
by Goldberry
Summary: Heero leads a cold and bitter life, devoid of love and emotion, until he is involved in a horrific car accident. In the forgotten corners of his mind, led by a once familiar figure, he finally learns what living is all about. [1xR]
1. One

Author's Note: This story deals with reincarnation and various religious themes. I'm not trying to promote them, but they are an integral part of the story, so if you are offended by this, I urge to read elsewhere. Thanks for your time, and enjoy!

Another Note: I would also like to warn you that this story came out in a different style than my others, a bit more spookier I would say. I hope it is alright.

Disclaimer: Gundam Wing does not belong to me. College student=poor=very little money if you sue me.

Autumn Leaving

AC 322

He was on the street again, the one he saw both awake and sleeping. The street lined with towering oak trees that spread their leaves in the sunlight, glittering gold as they waved at him. His world was silent inside his car, the only sound the soft whir of the air fan, his windows rolled up tight. The radio was off, he didn't like distractions, and his eyes were trained on the road before him, bypassing the perfect residential houses that floated by on either side. He only came down this street to see one thing, and it was not the everyday contrivances of life everyone took for granted. 

The ruins of the old Peacecraft Mansion came into view suddenly, as it did every time. The ocean, too, appeared swiftly and silently, crashing against the beach that had been hidden from view 'til now. He did not look at it, instead pulling his car up along the curb in order to turn his cobalt eyes to a condemned house that occupied a corner of his mind. Teenagers had broken in all the windows making gaping black holes in the outward face that reminded him of war wounds. The lawn was overgrown, the doors boarded up with a large white sign on the main one that read "Condemned". The city had tried to maintain the ancient mansion for awhile, claiming that it was an historic landmark, but as Newport grew, it eventually abandoned it to the unruly neighborhood kids that used it for dares. It was over a hundred years old now, one of its wings having collapsed under age. He could not say why he was drawn to this place, only that it soothed something ragged inside him. Whenever he fought with Lydia he came here and sat on the decaying perimeter wall to watch the moon rise over the ocean. It was comforting to hear the waves and watch the light play over the water. He would never tell anyone, of course. It was his own place, not to be shared with others. 

The fight had been different this time, aimed not at him but at what he cherished. She wanted to move to outer space, more specifically to Mars where the landless European nobility could make a name for themselves. Lydia had always been trying to prove herself ever since her brother had won the Nobel Peace Prize and she had suddenly become a shadow in her own family. She had tried everything. Writing numerous literary columns dedicated to the ideals of pacifism, preaching her beliefs before countless committees, lobbying for equal status for Mars settlers. Now she wanted to move there, a last ditch attempt to regain the attention she thought she had lost to her brother. 

And she wanted him to go with her. 

They had been dating for a year, off and on since both their schedules were busy. He worked at Preventer Security, the galaxy wide organization that keep the peace that Relena Peacecraft had put in place so long ago. How ironic it was that he looked now upon her home, the very place her young mind had first envisioned the world he now lived in. Not that it mattered, Lydia wanted him to leave it all behind. She said he was losing himself in this place. She wanted him to forget Earth and look towards the stars. 

He could not.

He had been born on Earth, and though he had traveled to the colonies many times, the blue-green planet was still his home. He belonged here, where everything was real and not just illusion. Only here did he feel he really existed. 

He would have to break it off. They didn't love each other, hadn't for a long time. For him, maybe never. Love was a myth spread by those who had never known it. He used Lydia as she used him, to keep the loneliness at bay. At night it was the worst, the ache in his chest becoming so poignant he had trouble breathing. He often wondered if everyone experienced this terrible heartache, so deep he often woke with tears on his face. When Lydia discovered him like that one morning, she sent him to a therapist who had immediately pointed him across the street to a fortune teller who promptly told him exactly what his problem was. 

His soul was weeping. 

Apparently, this infliction made it self known at night when his mind shut down and his heart was allowed just to feel. This, the gypsy look-alike had explained, was the whole dilemma. His heart felt nothing at all and so his soul wept. Her cure for this was to find something to hope for, to believe in. The moment the words had left her painted lips, he had risen and walked out of her shop, irrationally angry. What did she know about his life? He could have been the happiest man alive for all she knew and his _soul _was _weeping_? Where did she come up with that stuff?

It didn't matter. Nothing did. 

Except this house. 

He opened the car door, letting the world in as he stepped out, leaning back against the frame to look up at the mansion. He could picture it in his mind's eye, perfect and untarnished. It was almost as if he had seen it with his own eyes, the image was so clear. But, of course, that wasn't possible. He had learned that lesson long ago. 

The world is cruel, his mother had whispered as she left him on the orphanage doorstep on a snow-clouded day. The world is cruel, the matron had told him, as other children got new lives with new parents and he was left behind. The world is cruel, Lydia said angrily, and the house reflected it back. 

The world is cruel. 

Was there such a thing as true happiness? He didn't think so, but only because he had known so little happiness in his own life. Perhaps those who thought they were happy were just deluding themselves against the sad truth of life. What happiness could there be when everything was so…gray?

He pushed himself away from the car absently and glanced at his watch. He really shouldn't have stopped there, on that street. He would be late getting back and Lydia would have questions he didn't have the answers for. 

Looking back on the mansion once more, he climbed back in the car and shut the world out again, pulling a U-turn and heading back towards his apartment. Scenery flashed by on all sides of him, but he paid little notice. It was just another day. Another day in a life that mattered little to him. 

He didn't care when he caught every red light between the Peacecraft Mansion and the street next to his apartment. He didn't care as an old women tottered in front of his car as she struggled to cross the crosswalk. He didn't care that he was a little late catching the green light and the car behind him honked impatiently. He didn't even really care when the red truck filled his windshield and impacted him head on, filling his already closed mind with the screaming of metal and voices. There was no pain, he was too numb to feel anything, dead the moment he was born, a heart without purpose. Something warm trickled into his eyes but he didn't wipe it away, he couldn't move. Instead, his mind spiraled into a deeper darkness that he recognized as unconsciousness. He went willingly at first, before, abruptly, he realized he _did_ care that he would never see his street again. 

His street? 

No, _her_ street. The girl with eyes like the ocean. 

Who?

He was confused. He felt almost like two people, the same and yet different, caught in a moment within his own mind. 

She's waiting, you know…

Who?

But then he knew, and her voice came as a tiny spark of light in the dimness of his thoughts, a kiss of wonder.

"Heero?"

TBC…


	2. Two

"Heero?"

It wasn't his name but he felt the immediate need to respond to it, to find the owner of the musical voice that reached out to him, searching. He didn't even know where he was but he was certain the answers would come if he could just find _her._

"Here," he replied, his voice coming out scratchy and hoarse. The moment the word left him, it echoed away on unseen wings and he found himself standing on a beach, staring out over the ocean. He frowned, trying to figure out what was happening to him. Where _was_ he? He looked around, his cobalt eyes taking in every detail. He was barefoot, that simple fact throwing him off-balance. He never went anywhere barefoot. He was wearing different clothes, too. A pair of jeans and a white shirt, his Preventer uniform nowhere to be seen. 

A wave reached his toes and he took a step back, the water cold. He couldn't understand what was going on. He had been on his way home and then…

Then what?

He couldn't remember. Something about a voice. 

He swallowed, a bit unnerved and turned around to better get his bearings. And there it was. His house. _Her_ house. The old Peacecraft mansion stood there regally, looking as if it had just been built. There was no condemned sign on the front door, no shattered windows. It was whole. It was perfect. 

It was scaring him. 

He wasn't a man to be easily scared but the sight of it there, beautiful and pristine, sent chills up his spine. Something was wrong, very wrong. His house was old and this one was new. He shouldn't be there. _It_ shouldn't be there. Something was wrong. 

And he had to go in. 

He wasn't quite sure how he knew this, he just did. Just like he knew it belonged to _her_ when he didn't even know who _she_ was. Someone was waiting for him inside and if he didn't go in, something bad would happen. It was not anything that would affect the world, but it would affect his life. He would never learn the truth if he didn't go in. 

So, taking a deep breath, he walked up the hillside to the mansion, wishing for his shoes as he crossed the hot pavement of the road. He climbed the steps and stopped briefly to look up, his eyes taking in a sight that should have been impossible. As he did so, something flashed in one of the first floor windows, a pale face that was gone before he got an impression of anything else. He was being watched. 

Clenching his jaw, he continued up to the front door, frowning again upon discovering that it was already open though it hadn't been just a minute ago. He closed his eyes. 

Everything seemed so unreal, as if he were caught in the moment between waking and dreaming. Things changed before his eyes, aligning themselves to his desires. He had wanted to go inside and the door lay waiting for him, welcoming him. It was beyond imagination. 

He opened his eyes and went in. 

The moment his bare foot stepped onto the lush carpet of the mansion, the floor disappeared. Everything went dark except for him. He was standing in the middle of a void, the white shirt he wore seemingly impossibly bright in the blackness. It was not cold there, though he thought it should be. There was nothing to hear, see, smell, taste or touch. He was utterly alone. 

No. 

There, only a few yards away. A woman. 

She was blurry at first, like the hazy memories of childhood. As calm as a spring breeze, she moved towards him, the void rippling with her every step. The nearer she got to him, the more focused her image became until she stopped only four feet away, perfectly clear. 

She was beautiful. 

He didn't think he had ever seen a woman as beautiful as she was. 

Yes, you have. 

No, he hadn't, he was sure of it. Long, honey gold hair drifting around her shoulders in an unfelt wind, azure eyes like two pools of summer ocean water. A face so pure it almost hurt to look at it. A slim body clothed in a filmy white dress, her face as bare as his. There was only one word to describe a vision such as her. 

Perfect. 

"You came," she said, and her voice tingled along his skin like kisses from songbirds. A melody for his ears alone. Her head tilted, waiting. 

"Yes," he replied, not knowing exactly how to respond. Her expression grew almost melancholy. 

"It is good to see you again, Heero." There was something in her tone this time, as if she expected something from him other than what he had given her. It hurt him, that he had unknowingly hurt her, and he didn't know why. 

"My name's not Heero," he said after a moment, watching her face. Realization seemed to fill her eyes and she turned to the side, showing him her profile, her head bowed. He had caused her pain again and he cursed himself, all the while questioning why he should care. He didn't know what was happening or where he was, or who she was. He didn't know anything, except he didn't want to see her cry. Anything but that. 

He had always hated to see her cry. 

"What is your name then?" she questioned, her chime-like voice so quiet he could barely hear her. He breathed in deeply. 

"Adin."

A small smile curved her full lips and she looked over at him, a sweet look in her eyes, as if something had just been proven to her, unknowingly to him. He frowned slightly. 

"Adin," she repeated, and he felt an odd sort of sensation at the way she said his name. The touch of the void. "It's a beautiful name, it suits you, but then again, you've worn it before."

His frown deepened. "Before?"

She turned fully towards him and took a step in his direction, the ripples spreading outward and gliding under his own feet. He couldn't feel them. In seconds she was standing so close to him his muscles tensed, her breath mingling with his. She smelled like wind. Her turquoise eyes looked up into his, something jumping inside him as they did. 

"Our lives stretch out behind us like so many paving stones on the way to self-discovery." Her head tilted again, sunshine hair brushing his arm. Her voice wrapped around him. "Each one leaving its mark on the soul." Delicate fingers brushed over his chest, above his heart. His lungs could not contain enough air. "I can read your soul, Adin. In this place, I can do many things."

He almost couldn't form the words. "What do you see?" 

She leaned upward, standing slowly on tiptoe, her eyes closing even as she spoke. "I see the other half of me." 

He didn't realize he had shut his own eyes until her lips met his in gentle kiss and the world lurched around him. When he opened them again, the woman was standing yards away, as if she had never been near him, and he was standing on the beach again, the waves breaking close by, the mansion behind him. He blinked, trying to orient himself. 

"You want to know why you're here," the woman said, her eyes locked on the waves. He looked over at her but she would not meet his intense gaze. Before he could answer her, she went on, "We met on a beach like this once, not our first meeting, nor our last, but a good one. At least, it was looking back on it. You didn't think so at first, that's how it works sometimes, but I knew. I knew when I looked at you."

He swallowed the obvious question. He wasn't sure he was ready to know the answer. "Why am I here?"

She finally turned her head and met his gaze, her eyes no longer soft but strong and clear. "I don't know." She paused, studying him. "It's not the right time yet, it's why you don't remember anything, but nothing happens without a reason. Everything will reveal itself." She looked away again, suddenly. 

"What?" he asked, more sharply than he intended. 

"I missed you."

He looked away. "I don't know you."

Her eyes shut in pain. "We were separated the last time, it happens to all soul mates at least once. You were born without me." Tears glinted at the corners of her closed eyelids. "It's why you're unhappy, Adin, why your life seems so meaningless." She whirled suddenly, looking at him with eyes bright with sorrow. "I would take your pain if I could, my love, in an instant, but I can't! I'm here and you're there, alive." She trembled and he reined in the desire to run to her and hold her and tell her everything was alright. 

Everything was not alright. 

His voice was hoarse when he spoke. "Who _are_ you?"

She sniffed, looking down at the sand beneath her feet. "I've donned many names, as everyone does, but the last name I wore was Relena." She looked up. "Relena Peacecraft."

It couldn't be. 

He struggled not to look back at the mansion. _Her_ mansion, and briefly…

…his.

He shook the thought away. It wasn't true. She was lying. He was having a dream, a hallucination brought on by stress. In moments, Lydia would shake him awake and tell him to get ready for work. He would have his life back, even if he didn't want it. Anything was better than this…this…pain…

It captured him in a torrent, forcing him to his knees, hands clutching his head, eyes unseeing. The woman, Relena, screamed his name. _No!_ It wasn't his name, it was a dead man's name, not his. Never his. And she was lying. _Lying!_

It stopped. 

One moment he was in complete agony, the next it was gone as if he had only imagined it. And he was no longer on the beach. His blurry eyes showed him a field, a meadow, dotted with rainbow colored flowers. The breeze that tangled his hair was filled with petals. 

"Hello, Heero."

He jerked upright from his pain-induced crouch, his gaze settling on the only person who could have spoken. A man with platinum blonde hair and kind sea-green eyes, a small smile on his boyish face. Adin frowned. That name again. 

"Who are you?" He seemed to be asking that a lot lately.

The man's smile grew, lighting his whole face. 

"Don't you remember me, Heero? My name is Quatre."

TBC…

* * * * 

A big hug to everyone who reviewed the first chapter, I appreciate all your comments. So feel free to leave more! ^_^ Tee hee. 

Berry


	3. Three

"Quatre," he repeated flatly, a simple pronunciation holding no remembrance. There was nothing to remember. _Lying!_

If the blonde man was disappointed by his lack of reaction he didn't show it. Instead, Quatre leaned down and offered him his hand, the gesture so full of simple kindness that Adin took it before thinking about it. In an instant he was on his feet and Quatre was smiling at him with that smile made of pure sunshine. How could he be so happy? Everything was all wrong.

"It's not wrong, Heero," Quatre said, his blue gaze very gentle. Platinum locks brushed across his nose in a sudden burst of fragrant wind. "Just unexpected. You weren't likely to be here for awhile, you know."

The soft words pouring from this strange man's mouth were too much. 

"I'm _not_ Heero," he snapped, unrepentant even in the face of Quatre's sudden frown. "And I don't even know where _here_ is!"

There was a moment of pure silence that was filled with wind and petals and confusion. Adin's head suddenly hurt and he lifted a hand to press his palm against his temple. What was happening? Was he dreaming? This couldn't be real. She was lying. She had to be.

Everything was a lie. 

"It hurts," Quatre said knowingly, sympathy written clearly across his face. "It doesn't usually, but this isn't your time. Everything will be different."

Adin glanced at him. "A minute ago, there was a woman…" He trailed off, finding no words to describe her. Luckily, it didn't seem to matter, this Quatre seemed to know exactly who he was talking about. 

"You've seen Relena," he replied, nodding as if it was something so anticipated he had barely given it thought. "That's why you're here then, with me."

Adin frowned, a line appearing in the middle of his forehead. "What?"

"You felt incredible pain, didn't you? It's because you were ripped away and dropped here. You can't be with her yet. It's not the right time."

A flash of something, something old overtook him and for a moment he did not see a pale-haired stranger before him. He saw a comrade, someone he had fought beside and respected. "When, Quatre? When will it be the right time?" His voice came out deeper, with an air of darkness and mystery that surprised him. He felt very odd, as if he wasn't quite aligned within himself, as if part of him was _out_.

Quatre's eyes filled with tears at the sound of the familiar voice and he looked almost heartbroken. "I don't know, Heero. No one does. We can only wait and see." Adin felt himself nod and the action brought him back to himself, the otherworldly presence vanishing for the moment. He blinked rapidly and took deep breaths to slow his suddenly racing heart. He didn't bother to correct Quatre's misuse of his name. For a moment, he _had_ been Heero. 

__

She's lying! his inner voice yelled, but there was definitely a desperate tone to it now. 

He closed his eyes, tired of feeling confused, tired of not knowing what was happening to him. Just tired. Quatre, with the infinite kindness he had come to see in the other man, let him stand there a moment, wind tangling in his hair, petals brushing against his cheeks. Only after a few minutes of calming silence did the other man speak again. 

"It's not easy to explain," he said quietly, his voice no louder than the wind rushing around them. Adin opened his eyes. "There are so many lives, it's hard to remember them separately." Bright blue eyes met dark cobalt. "Some lives mean more than others, in terms of the soul. Some lives make us, and some break us. It is a cycle." Quatre paused and pain flared briefly across his face. It made Adin wonder to see it. "You see, I'm here now, as Relena is, but the others…they are gone and they will not be back until it is time."

"The…others?" There was something familiar about the implied group. The other Adin, the darker Adin, seemed to be able to conjure images of the people Quatre spoke of. 

"Yes," Quatre replied, slipping his hands into the pockets of his jeans. He was barefoot too, Adin noticed absently. "Trowa, Catherine, Duo, Hilde, Wufei, Sally and Ms. Noin. They are all out there, in the place you were. The place called Life. Different now, of course, but still there."

Adin stiffened, the breeze seeming suddenly chill. Quatre watched him with large eyes though he sported no readable expression. 

"If…I was in Life," he said slowly, holding Quatre's gaze. "Then, does that mean I'm…dead?" The very thought threatened to dissolve everything he was. Even if it were true, his mind would not comprehend it. There was nothing after death. Nothing. 

The world was cruel. 

"Not yet," Quatre corrected, "If you were, you would be here fully, with all your memories and…you would be able to be with Relena without tearing the fabric of space and time." At Adin's unbelieving look, Quatre tried to clarify. "There is a law, Heero, one as old as the galaxy itself. It does not fade and it does not change though we would wish it so. You've been born apart from your soul mate, something that happens to all of us. For what reason, I can't say. To learn something, perhaps. While you still live, you can't be with Relena until your life has ended and you have learned the lesson you were born to learn." Quatre searched for the words. "Every soul needs experiences, it's what helps us to grow. It's why we live."

"I see," Adin said flatly, "I'm suppose to learn something from my life. What it is, no one seems to know, but I have to learn it." He paused, a thought occurring to him. "What if I don't?"

Quatre's boyish face became dead serious. "Don't say that, Heero. Do you want Relena to hear?"

Adin blinked. "She can hear us?"

"If she wants." Quatre looked at him steadily, his hidden strength coming to the surface. "It will kill her, you know, if you are separated again. I suggest you learn whatever it is you are suppose to and return to us."

Adin could not even fathom a reply. 

And as it was, he didn't have to. Quatre took a step back and the wind abruptly roared into the flower field between them, whipping up a flurry of petals and full blossoms, the gale tugging at the hem of Adin's shirt and his dark hair. Quatre, his hands still in his pockets began speaking but the steady gusts blew his words away as soon as they left his lips. Adin tried to take a step forward to close the space between them so they could hear but the air had become a wall and he was unable to move. He struggled to understand the other man's words. 

"Quatre!" he shouted, shielding his face with his hands as the rain of petals became a torrent, a hurricane of flowers. The boyish face he could barely see smiled at him. 

"Remember."

Everything was flowers. 

And then it was not. 

The world gave a lurch before shimmering back into existence around him. The field was gone and, instead, he stood in the middle of the ocean. That, of course, was strange all on its own but what was more, the water only came up to his knees. 

Adin gazed incredulously down at his feet, watching with amazement at the ripples that floated away with his every movement. He could see his toes. 

There were no waves. 

An endless expanse of deep blue water and he stood in the middle of it. The sky above so bright a color it almost hurt his eyes. 

"Is this Death?" he questioned quietly, not knowing why he voiced the question aloud. He rarely allowed himself to question his own mind. It bothered him when he didn't have the answers. 

"No, it's not, but then again, you always were obsessed with it. It's no wonder you see it everywhere."

Adin spun as quickly as he could, submerged as he was. Water rushed around his feet and he felt himself still as he took in the figure before him. The man was magnificent and daunting, though Adin felt no fear of him. He was wearing a uniform of some sort, a splendid white that set off the color of his white-blonde hair. Icy blue eyes gazed out of a face that was not used to showing emotion but seemed chiseled out of stone. This soldier, for that was what he must be, held a naked sword in his hand, his unusually long hair drifting around him in a wind Adin nether heard nor felt. 

The warrior was standing on the water's surface. 

Adin looked down at his own feet, his quick mind deducing the reason even as the other man spoke it. 

"You're only half here."

Adin raised his eyes and felt, for the second time, a heaviness that settled over him like a blanket, a part of himself reawakening to the world. For the moment, Adin was lost. 

Heero was found. 

"Zechs," he greeted flatly. 

The other man raised his sword briefly in a salute. "Heero, it has been a long time."

"It will be longer still."

"Yes."

Heero looked away for a moment, out over the expanse of silent water to the horizon far in the distance. His gaze, when it returned to Zechs, was troubled. 

"I can't remember yet."

Zechs nodded, his deep voice reverberating in the very air. "I know. It's why I came."

Heero smirked. "Good. If I am to be beaten, I want it to be you." He shivered suddenly and squinted, as if the day were too bright for him. "I must go, I'm not strong enough."

The heaviness lifted and Adin returned, blinking. Zechs regarded him for a moment, almost curiously. Adin was only confused. 

"Who are you?"

Zechs smiled, the only smile he could remember since his last lifetime when she had still been with him. 

"I've come to kill you."

TBC…


	4. Four

Adin blinked. "Kill me?"

The white warrior, _Zechs, _his mind whispered, shrugged, the movement a sleek contraction of muscles, white-blonde hair slipping over his shoulder and dancing in the breeze that touched only him. 

"Well, I will if you make it too easy," he said, low voice rumbling as Zechs suddenly lunged forward, sword flashing with speed and light. Unconsciously, Adin moved to the side, feeling the wind of the other man's weapon cut the air where he had been only seconds before. Zechs straightened instantly, as if he had never moved, and eyed him with a sort of detached amusement. 

"So, you do still remember some things."

Adin shook his head, bewildered. He couldn't describe what had made him move. It had been almost as if he had _foreseen_ Zech's lunge, had been able to read the other man's mind with the precision of an assassin. An instinct that warned him of imminent danger. 

Inherent self-preservation.

Adin couldn't explain it. 

"I don't understand what it means," he said quietly, water swishing around his knees. Zechs raised his sword, the tip level with Adin's eyes, refracted light glittering on the steel. 

"It means Heero is not completely lost, as I thought. Now, prepare yourself."

This time, Adin saw the lunge clearly and moved backwards, avoiding the swing. Instead of straightening to regain balance, Zechs pushed forward, a white flame dancing on water as he pressed his advantage. Water rippled with the warrior's movements, it sloshed with Adin's, hampering his movement. Steel sang through the air, the sound sending shivers along Adin's spine as he kept up his retreat, his breath rasping in his throat as he realized that Zechs really _did_ mean to kill him. The sword was real and Zech's attacks held all of his strength. He was quite sure how he knew that, something about the way the other man moved, with precision and an exactness that left no room for doubt. 

Zechs wasn't holding back. 

A flare of cold anger ignited in a corner of Adin's mind. 

He was defenseless and still Zechs' sword sought his heart. He was in a strange world, a strange place, with strange people he had neither forgotten nor remembered and he was expected to know what to do? From the moment he had gotten back into his car outside the old Peacecraft Mansion his life had become something out of a story kids told around campfires. His mind whirled with everything he had learned and now this impressive soldier who could stand on water was trying to kill him. 

Enough was enough. 

In the middle of a side ways dodge, Adin felt a _weight_ settle over him and his mind cleared of all distractions. He felt nothing. No fear, no anxiety, no happiness. His mind was a void and he could do anything. 

A smirk crossed his face and Zechs saw it and paused, sword raised horizontally in front of him, water dripping like music notes from the blade. Adin raised one hand, palm outwards and in front of him, shimmering like a mirage, a sword formed. Ornate and deadly, it was like something out of a dream. He thought not of how it had come to be, only of his mission. 

With a grim smile, he gripped the hilt and swung the blade upright, letting the sun flicker off the steel. Zechs raised an eyebrow, the rest of his body as still as stone. 

"Hello, Heero."

They moved together like the lightning Zechs was named after, swords singing and hissing in turns as they swung and were blocked. Colors glittered in the air around them, sometimes coalescing into shapes and images that neither man paid attention to. Their focus was solely on each other. 

Suddenly, Heero wavered. Adin blinked. Where had the sword come from?

"No!" The flat of Zechs sword came down hard on Heero's right shoulder, making him grit his teeth as he raised cobalt eyes to meet the other man's ice blue gaze. "No, Heero. Pay attention."

Adin disappeared. Heero lunged forward once more. Zechs nodded even as he blocked the blow. "Good, fight me. Keep your attention here. The other does not exist."

Without words, Heero began to gain ground, shifting to attack rather than defend. Zechs began to retreat forcing Heero to slosh forward through the knee-high water. Once again, in midstep, Heero lost concentration and Adin began to reassert control. And once again, Zechs' blade slammed against his other shoulder. Heero grunted. 

"The time is now," Zechs intoned, "You must remember, or return. There are no other choices." He straightened, lifting his blade away from Heero. "Choose."

Heero met Zechs stare and opened his mouth to reply. 

Zechs sword entered his shoulder and hit the bone. 

Pain erupted and blood quickly drenched Heero's shoulder. He looked over at the wound emotionlessly, making no sound when Zechs pulled the blade free again. A moment later he looked over at the silent, white warrior, saying nothing, questions in his eyes. 

"It's the only way. You have no more time. The world will begin to call you and you'll go back." Zechs shook his head, platinum mane flying. "I can't allow that. She still needs you and if I have to, I will stop Time itself to make her happy."

Heero closed his eyes. "Thank you."

He felt the world shift then, in the great lurches he had felt before, only this time he wasn't afraid, or even uncomfortable. The sound of the waveless ocean receded and the music of crickets chirping forced him to open his eyes again. He was standing in a forest now and it was evening. Fireflies floated past him, glinting like the willow wisps of old. Nighttime insects made a chorus of melodies around him and a slight breeze whispered through the heavy tree branches and ruffled his hair as it passed. His shoulder throbbed with pain but he stepped forward, knowing who had called him and why. He walked past glowing florescent mushrooms and flowers that made the air smell of cinnamon, past a trickling stream that flashed silver and white. He was close. He could almost feel her. 

"Heero."

He turned his head, nothing more, as she appeared from the shadows, dressed in a gown that twinkled like stars, white petals scattered in her long sunflower hair. She glanced at his shoulder before lifting blue-gray eyes to his face, a small smile on her lips. He nodded once. 

"Dorothy."

TBC…


	5. Five

Dorothy touched his wounded shoulder with light fingers, an almost amused expression on her face. "I see you've met Zechs." She shook her head as if he were a wayward child and the blood disappeared under her palm. "You should have waited. I would have given you a worthier fight." Her voice, so bemused at his situation, turned him cold inside and made him stiffen, causing her to take her hand away with a cat's smile. She turned away from him and began to walk, her footsteps soundless against the carpet of dewy grass. He followed a few steps behind, wary of her as he had ever been. Especially in this realm, where she knew everything, and he could barely remember. "So, Heero, you've come back to us," she commented, her white skin lit by the glow of fireflies and moonlight. 

"I'm not as I was," he replied, his dark eyes fixed in front of them, wondering just where it was she was leading him. 

"Of course not," she answered, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, "It's not the right time."

He couldn't help the smirk that crossed his face. "So I've been told."

She glanced back over her shoulder at him, a less than pleased look on her face. Her narrowed eyes tried to freeze him. He merely stared back and she faced forward again. "You are taking this too lightly, Heero. You haven't fully awakened. This place can be dangerous for you." She stopped suddenly and her gaze looked into the distance and did not see him. "You will be tempted and your heart will yearn for the old ways, but it can not be. Not yet. You mustn't forget, Heero. Adin has only begun to live." Her eyes refocused and she breathed out quietly. After a moment of pure silence, she began to walk again and Heero followed. 

Ahead of them, a ring of light beckoned, and as they drew closer Heero could see it was actually a circle of glowing mushrooms surrounding a perfectly spherical pool of deep water. The water disturbed by nothing more than the moon's mystical reflection. Dorothy stopped at the pool's edge, looking down into the water as if she expected to see something other than her own face. When she looked up again, it seemed that her silver-gray eyes were ringed with starlight. 

"You know what it is," he said softly, watching her intensely. She met his look and said nothing. "Tell me," he pressed, "You know what will happen if I don't learn it."

"Yes," she murmured finally, "I know what will happened, but it is not my place to speak of such things. To reveal the lesson meant only for you would put my own soul in jeopardy. No, Heero, you must discover it for yourself, and quickly." She turned away again, towards the water. "Your time grows short."

Heero clenched his hands into fists. "What must I do?"

Dorothy laughed, a quiet laugh held somewhere deep inside, between her ribs. "Do? Why, you must go back. Back to the world of living. The world of ghosts is no place for one who clings to life. Go back and learn your lesson, if you ever wish to be with Relena again."

"I don't know the way back," he said coldly. "I don't even know why I'm here in the first place."

Instead of answering directly, Dorothy kneeled by the pool and touched a finger to the center, making ripples move across the surface, distorting the reflections. "You wanted to see her, Heero." She glanced at him with raised eyebrows. "I'm surprised. For a man once thought of as the Perfect Soldier, you do seem to have a shocking lack of common sense."

"I always did, when it came to her."

Dorothy nodded and, suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, Heero caught a flicker of movement within the silent circle of water. Frowning, he moved closer until he was standing at the rim, gazing down into the depths. An image wavered there. 

He knelt by the edge. 

The image resolved. 

"Relena," he whispered, his heart jumping in his chest. 

Dorothy watched him coolly.

Relena, dressed in flowing white, gazed at him out of sad and lonely turquoise eyes, her very look beckoning him to her side, and he realized, at that moment, he wanted nothing more. Almost of its own accord, his right hand rose and hovered inches above the water and ripples spread outward from his fingertips though he had not touched the glassy surface. It would be so easy. Just to reach for her. 

So enamored with vision before him was he, that he did not notice the strong wind that rose around him, gusting violently, whipping petals from flowers and forcing the fireflies into a whirlwind of light. Dorothy's long hair whipped out behind her, the hem of her twinkling skirt ruffling around her ankles. He saw none of it though. He could see only her and feel only the wish in his heart. He knew her now, as she knew him, and with the precision he had held so long ago, he ruthlessly crushed the dim part of him that said he had never met her before coming to this place. 

Adin was silenced. 

__

You will be tempted.

His whole body leaned forward, yearning for something he had not felt in a long time. He forgot Quatre's words of warning, forgot that this was the world of the dead, the world between lives, and that he still had a life to go back to. Who could not forget, in the face of her love? More than anything, he simply wanted to touch her. 

Beside him, Dorothy watched with the eyes of a raven. She made no move to help nor hinder him and so she was ignored. If he had looked at her though, he would have seen reproach in her silver-gray irises and, perhaps, even a little disappointment. 

__

Your heart will yearn for the old ways.

He could remember. 

Lifetimes flashed before his eyes, some blurry but becoming more distinct as they reached the present time. Of all the times he had spent with her, the last was the most poignant. He could still taste her kiss and feel her smooth skin under his calloused hands. Love had never been easy for them and it probably never would be, but she was still his and that was all that mattered. They belonged to each other and he would not let her go again. Who cared that fate had placed them apart? With her love, he could do anything. 

Even defy destiny. 

One finger touched the watery surface. 

__

But it can not be.

Lightning split the sky and the very air shrieked as time and space began to tear apart. In an instant, two hands clamped down on his shoulders and began to pull him back, away from the pool. Quatre's voice rang in his ear over the gale. 

"You can't, Heero! It's not right! You know what will happen if you go to her!" And then Dorothy was next to him, not physically restraining, but her words lanced as sharply as a saber. 

"Life is cruel, Heero. Everyone suffers. Do you think you are the only soul ever to be separated from its mate? There is a right way and a wrong way to finish this. Would you destroy everything just to see her one more time?"

He locked gazes with her, cobalt eyes ablaze with determination, and Dorothy took a step back, unbelief painted clearly across her face. 

"Yes."

Life is cruel.

He pulled roughly away from Quatre's strong grip and blocked out his friend's desperate cry. In an instant, he leaped forward, his mind focused only on her face. 

He fell into the pool and let it swallow him. 

__

Don't forget, Heero. Adin has only begun to live. 

Don't forget.

TBC…

* * * * 

Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. Your kind words mean a lot to me and I'm especially glad that new readers are being sucked in as well. Tee hee. Try not to be too confused and I'll catch ya in a week or so.

Love ya!

Berry


	6. Six

Author's Note: Awwww, I see that confusion still abounds in the ranks. *grins* Just so you know, if you have no earthly clue as to what in the heck is going on, I promise you that there will be a question and answer supplement at the end of the story where, hopefully, all your questions will be answered. Of course, if you can't wait that long you can always drop me an email. I'll give you what hints I can. Besides that, enjoy reading!

It was autumn and the leaves fell in cascades of gold, orange and red. The air spelled of spices and the ground underfoot was aflame with bright fall colors. The wind was brisk but not chilly and the sky was the most perfect shade of blue he had ever seen. There were no clouds, only the a faint 'V' of geese flying south, their calls the very essence of the changing weather, but he did not notice any of this. The earth might have stopped spinning for all the attention he gave it. No, his eyes were trained on the luminescent being waiting for him under the red oak, slim fingers dancing with lazy leaves as they fell. 

He stepped forward to cross the space between them and she looked up with a fluidity of motion that left him breathless, the graceful movements of startled deer. It was amazing.

She hadn't known he was there. 

Even as the echo of his first footfall died away, the wind blew colder and in the distance, the horizon grew dark. This he did see clearly but it did not make him pause. He knew the consequences of his actions very well. He had remembered with the help of those he had lived countless of lives with and now his journey would be complete.

If he could make it to her side. 

She watched him walk steadily, no trace of fear in her eyes through the world groaned and shadows fell the nearer he came to her. When he was halfway, snow began to fall, a few dainty flakes that landed on his nose and made him blink. It did not make him slow. Leaves crunched under his feet as they froze and were broken by his passing. He ignored the temperature drop and kept his eyes trained on Relena's deep aqua eyes, two bottomless wells that now shed tears for what was to come. She knew as well as he what would happen. She had probably known from the beginning when they had stood together by the beach and he had barely known who she was. 

He remembered now, and it hurt.

No one appeared to stop him when he was within arm's reach, though he could feel their eyes. Quatre, Dorothy and Zechs….They were in this world, too, awaiting a time when they would be born again with their loved ones. Was the world really cruel?

No. It had given him her.

He reached out and drew her to him with one breath even as the wind erupted into a whirlwind of dried leaves and frantic snow. It swirled around them and threatened to tear her from his grasp but his arms remained locked around her waist as her lips kissed his throat and her eyes met his. Her voice reached him, through even the tempest that had coalesced around them. 

"You came," she said and he nodded, kissing away the cold tear that trailed down her flawless cheek. Her fingers tightened in the fabric of his shirt and her hair whipped around her like a pale cloud. Snowflakes caught in her lashes and glittered with her every movement. "You came," she repeated, "to say farewell."

Again, he nodded.

__

BP's falling! Check his airway. Damn it, he's bleeding too much!

She smiled a little and touched his hair, so sad and yet so willingly to believe in him. He closed his eyes, his heart full of pain and regret, but he did not make a wish. In this, he could not be selfish. Relena's warm lips brushed his eyelids. 

"Try not to think of it as a leaving," she whispered, "This moment was given to us when all others are kept apart."

__

He's fluctuating! Ready the Fib! Stand back!

He said nothing, simply bent down and kissed her gently, cradling her close to him as he felt himself begin to wane. When he stepped back, his body had grown transparent and Relena's hand had come up to cover her mouth. 

"I love you," he said to the wind, and the wind replied with the voice of a dove, "I love you and I'll be waiting for you here, in the place between worlds. When you come again, never doubt that I will be waiting."

He was moving backwards, away from her. His heart gave a might lurch within his chest and his vision blurred. He tried to look for Relena but her image was gone and he was only cold. So very cold…

__

Alright, clear!

Bam.

"Go, Heero, and do not be afraid. I am with you, forever."

He closed his eyes.

__

Clear!

Bam. 

Darkness crushed him on all sides and he struggled to breathe, to survive, to live.

Just to live…

__

Clear!

Bam. 

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

__

We've got a pulse. Bag him and I don't care if you have to bring him back to life with a kiss, this one's staying. Got it?

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. 

Relena….

TBC…


	7. Seven

His eyes fluttered open slowly, an effort that cost more than it   
gave when the sudden light blinded him and made tears catch in his   
lashes. Colors swam before him and he blinked, resolving the mass of   
images into a recognizable hospital room. For a brief moment, he was   
disoriented, unable to remember what had happened. He had been on   
that street, the one he went to all the time and he had been driving   
home and then…  
  
And then what?  
  
Machines were beeping at him and tubes were everywhere. Assessing   
the damage, he realized his right leg was in a cast and he had a   
heavy bandage around his ribs. Something had happened to him.   
Something awful.   
  
A glimpse of gold hair and ocean eyes flashed inside his head and he   
gasped aloud, jerking under the sterile white sheets, making one of   
the monitors next to his bed beep in warning. Almost immediately, a   
doctor poked her head in, stepping up beside his bed when she   
noticed he was awake.   
  
"You're finally awake," she said warmly as she checked the many   
machines he was hooked up to. When he didn't answer, she picked up   
his chart from the bottom of the bed and flipped through it nimbly,   
a pensive frown on her face. "You had a rough time there for awhile,   
Mr. Johnson. We thought you might leave us."  
  
_Try not to think of this as a leaving…_  
  
"I…I almost died," he said, uncertainly, a hint of a question in his   
voice. The doctor looked up, her twisted braids sliding over her   
white lab coat.   
  
"Very nearly. You were in a bad car accident. A pickup hit you head   
on in an intersection. The driver was intoxicated." She tilted her   
head at him. "He made it out without a scratch, you were not so   
lucky."  
  
"What's wrong with me?" he asked, feeling very out of touch. This   
wasn't his life, was it? Surely it was…more than this?  
  
"You've got three broken ribs, a broken leg, and a severe concussion   
along with various cuts and bruises. You lost a lot of blood since   
it took awhile for them to get you out of the vehicle. You were   
pinned pretty good." She smiled at him, hoping to reassure   
him. "Don't worry, we're taking good care of you, and you're in   
marvelous health. Your recovery will be quick."  
  
"I…" he paused, not really sure of what he wanted to say. "Has   
anyone…Does anyone know?"  
  
"Your ID said you worked for the Preventers. We notified your   
superior and he called a friend of yours, Lydia Hanson?" He nodded   
and she continued. "She should be arriving soon. She was at work   
when she got the call." The doctor took another step towards him and   
this time, when he looked at her, a memory imposed itself over her   
face and he stiffened, a familiar weight settling over him.   
  
"Sally?"  
  
She blinked. "I'm Dr. Crawford, Adin." She flicked her nametag with   
one finger but he had looked away, to the ceiling, dark eyes   
suddenly so anguished that she leaned over his bed rail. "Mr.   
Johnson? Are you in any pain?"  
  
He closed his eyes. "I'm Adin."  
  
She watched him uncertainly. "You suffered a terrible head injury,   
Mr. Johnson. You've been in a light coma for about thirty-six hours   
due to some swelling of the temporal lobe. It's normal in your   
circumstances to be unable to think very clearly. It will pass now   
that you are awake."  
  
He opened his eyes and gazed at her intensely and she blinked,   
feeling…something… struggle to break free inside of her.   
  
"You don't remember."  
  
"Remember what, Mr. Johnson?"  
  
He shook his head and then regretted it with a grimace. Dr. Crawford   
smiled sympathetically. "Rest for now, Mr. Johnson, your body needs   
to recover. I'll send Miss Hanson in when she gets here. Until then,   
if you need anything, push the call button by your bed. A nurse will   
come immediately and I'll be back to check on you later this   
evening."  
  
The door to his room swung shut as she left and he breathed out   
heavily, so weary in mind and body and spirit that he wasn't sure if   
he could take anything else. He felt strange now, his memories split   
between all the lifetimes he could still remember. He knew things   
now that he would have never known before, such as the fact that he   
knew beyond a doubt that he could pilot any of the old MS suits   
hidden away in one of the Preventer warehouses. In this life, he had   
never flown anything other than a Preventer shuttle, there had never   
been a need. He had never even seen a battle but he could remember   
the feel of an automatic weapon in his hands. It was odd, and a   
little disturbing, and he realized he would have to be careful with   
what he said.   
  
He awoke before he even knew that he was asleep, shifting as much as   
he could without pulling anything sore. A quick intake of breath   
warned him as much as the words that flowed thickly to him.   
  
"I wasn't sure if I should wake you."  
  
Lydia stood in the corner of the room, arms folded across her chest   
almost protectively. She was watching him with large blue eyes, pale   
blonde hair tucked securely behind her ears. She was tall and thin   
and her posture reflected her self-importance. Even her voice held a   
cultured nobility that instantly grated on his nerves. It was almost   
as if she thought that her own words were more important than anyone   
else's. As if she were used to everyone agreeing with her on a daily   
basis.   
  
He almost laughed as he realized why.   
  
Sylvia Noventa.  
  
Who said Fate did not have a sense of humor?  
  
"Hello, Lydia," he said calmly, feeling rather powerful as he   
watched her with deep eyes. She had never been able to change him   
and now she never would.   
  
She frowned, seeing something within his gaze. "Adin?"  
  
He shook his head, "No."  
  
She blinked twice. "What?"  
  
"I'm not going to Mars with you. My place is here, on Earth. It   
always has been." He paused, watching her reactions. "And you've   
known that all along."  
  
She stiffened and her hands came down to her sides in a motion of   
offense. "I only wanted what was best for us. Besides, you were   
becoming obsessed." Anger and humiliation flashed through her   
eyes. "I didn't know how to compete, Adin. I was losing you."  
  
"I was already lost," he answered flatly and she took a physical   
step back at the finality to his voice.   
  
"Well," she said, after the silence had stretched between them, "I   
guess that's it then." Her jaw tightened and she headed towards the   
door. "Have a good life, Adin. I hope I never see you again."   
  
He didn't say anything as she left, which was fortunate as an   
orderly in scrubs waltzed in, violet eyes full of curiosity as Lydia   
brushed past him without even looking. The young man whistled lowly   
under his breath and came to stand beside Adin's bed, his hands   
laden with a lunch tray.   
  
"How are ya today, Mr. Johnson? Good to see you finally awake. You   
missed out on some good meals." The orderly winked good naturedly   
and Adin frowned and spoke purely on instinct.  
  
"You never change, do you."  
  
It wasn't a question and the orderly didn't seem to think it was an   
odd statement. He simply winked again and sat the tray down on   
Adin's lap table. "We all change, Mr. Johnson. Only our souls stay   
the same, everything else is affected by the experiences we   
accumulate through our life." He patted Adin on the shoulder like a   
child before waltzing back towards the door. "Don't look so shocked,   
Heero. Everything is going to be alright."  
  
Adin jerked forward, his muscles aching in protest. "Wait!"  
  
But the man was gone.   
  
A few minutes passed before Adin could bring himself to sit back   
again, his eyes landing on the jiggly green jello that wore grapes   
in the shape of a smiley face. He shook his head but couldn't stop   
the smirk that crossed his face. Though he had glimpsed a wonderful   
world that still awaited him, this reality was what was important.   
He still had a life to live and when he returned to the land of   
ghosts and memories, he wanted to be able to tell her he had done   
his best. For her.  
  
He closed his eyes and leaned back into his pillow.  
  
"Yes, Duo, everything is going to be alright."   
  
THE END.


	8. Q & A Session

Autumn Leaving

Q & A Session

Concerning Autumn Leaving 

Q: Where did you get your inspiration for this story?

A: *chuckles* Well, I get inspiration from a lot of things. For this story it was from a jumbling of all the religion classes I had ever take. Originally, I was a Religion minor. It has since changed, but I still remember a lot from my classes. The idea for reincarnation and soul mates and life experiences came from those classes and my own beliefs. It was also inspired by "A Christmas Carol". The story where Scrooge is visited by three ghosts. (Quatre, Zechs, and Dorothy) Funny, isn't it?

Q: What does the title mean? How did you think of it?

A: The title is reference to a scene in the Chapter Six between Heero and Relena. The actual name came to me from an Enya song. I'm a sucker for New Age. ^_~

Concerning Chapter One 

Q: Whoa, so confused. Why is this set so far in the future?

A: *ahem* This fic is set in 322 AD. Because of this fact, Heero and Relena and the gang are no longer alive. The world is a peaceful place, guarded by the Preventers. MS's are a thing of the long ago past and the story revolves around a character named "Adin" who is unhappy in his life but doesn't know why. He also has an obsession with the old Peacecraft Mansion. 

Q: What does "soul weeping" mean?

A: Ah ha. That is just a term I made up for the condition of Adin's heart. He's lonely and wakes up with dried tears on his face. He is so completely unhappy and yet cannot find the reason for his unhappiness. His soul wishes for something else, a different life. That is soul weeping.

Q: Wait! What happened to Adin at the end? Is he dead?

A: *sweatdrop* No, he's not dead. He was involved in a terrible car accident that left him unconscious. After this moment, the rest of the story takes place inside his mind, except of course for the last chapter, when he awakens.

Concerning Chapter Two 

Q: Okay, is Adin really Heero?

A: I might as well answer this question right here. Yes, Adin is Heero, but not completely. Adin was born with Heero's soul but he is not really Heero. He doesn't have all of Heero's mannerisms. For instance, he shows more of a temper. Of course, as the story goes on, we do see Adin become more Heero-like as he remembers things about his past. 

Q: Is Relena dead?

A: Yes, very much so. After all, she be over 200 years old if she were still alive. Her soul was not reborn as Heero's was, so she is left in the realm between life and death, awaiting her next life for reason that will soon become clear.

Concerning Chapter Three 

Q: What does Quatre mean when he says, "This isn't your time"?

A: Simply put, it isn't Adin's time. In this world, Adin show not be in the realm of ghosts unless he's dead, which he's not. He's only halfway there as he is unconscious. This is why he can't remember anything yet.

Q: "Quatre paused and pain flashed briefly across his face." What does this sentence refer to?

A: Nice catch. For future reference, there are lots of little hints that I drop in the story about things Adin notices but never resolves. This is one of them. The pain I was referring to is the pain of separation. Some souls are always meant to be reborn together. Not necessarily as soul mates, but simply as souls that are very close, like best friends. So, you could interpret this as Quatre's sorrow at being separated from everyone else, like Trowa, Duo, etc.

Q: When the whirlwind of petals begins and Adin can't hear what Quatre's saying, what did Quatre actually say?

A: That's for me to know and you to ponder. Hey, some things have to be left a mystery or it wouldn't be any fun!

Q: What does Zechs mean when he says, "You're only half here."

A: This is when Adin notices that Zechs can stand on the water and Adin can't. This is because Adin isn't dead yet. The water comes up to his knees because he's only half there.

Q: Why does Zechs want to fight Adin?

A: Zechs' hopes that it will bring out Heero. After all, Adin doesn't know how to sword fight, there was never any need for him to learn, but Heero does. Zechs wants Adin to regain his memories, for Relena's sake.

Q: Who is the "she" that Zechs mentions at the end of the chapter?

A: Yay, you caught another reference! Give yourself a cookie! The "she' Zechs was thinking of was, of course, Noin, who was reborn while he was not. This is another reason he wants Adin to remember since he knows what Relena is going through by being separated from her soul mate. 

Concerning Chapter Four 

Author's Commentary: Just so everyone knows, this chapter was my personal favorite. Probably because it has Zechs in it and I left everyone with a cliffhanger that rocked. *grin* 

Q: What's with the sword?

A: *blushes* Okay, I have a confession. I have a thing about pretty men wielding cool swords. I honestly don't know what it is. Heero creating a sword out of thin air just seemed like something he would be able to do, especially in the realm of the dead. Come on, you know you liked it.

Q: Why does Zechs hit Heero on the both shoulders with the flat of his sword?

A: Zechs does this to keep Heero from slipping back into Adin. He wants him to focus and to remember.

Q: Why does Zechs stab Heero before he can choose to stay or to go back?

A: Because, in that moment, Adin was still a strong force. He would have chosen to go back while Heero would want to stay. Who knows what might have happened then so Zechs, thinking of Relena, stabbed him to keep him there. Way to go, Zechsy-poo!

Concerning Chapter Five 

Q: How does Dorothy know what Heero's suppose to learn and he doesn't?

A: One of the things I try to portray Dorothy as is sly. She's catty and she keeps secrets. This just happened to be one of them.

Q: What's the significance of the glowing ring of mushrooms?

A: It's called a Fairy Ring. If you want to know more, go do some research. It's very interesting and it'll give you something to do. :D

Concerning Chapter Six 

Q: Why does the world fall apart as Heero gets closer to Relena?

A: Heero isn't supposed to be with Relena, remember? He isn't dead and she is. That messes up the whole point of him being alive and learning something. I guess you can say, it defies fate.

Q: What's with the medical speech in italics? What does it all mean? 

A: You have to remember that Adin is unconscious back in the real world, the result of an accident. While his mind is off frolicking in wonderland, a medical staff has been trying to bring him back to life. At the end of the chapter, he's starting to go back and that's why he can hear the doctor's voices.

Concerning Chapter Seven 

Q: Is Dr. Crawford really Sally Po?

A: Yes! She was reborn the same as Heero. Isn't it lucky she saved him? Tee hee.

Q: Whoa! Lydia is Sylvia Noventa?

A: I know, killer isn't it? But actually, I tried to make that fairly obvious in the first chapter when it talks about her background. Go back and read and you'll see it.

Q: Who is the orderly? Is it Duo? Is that why he knows Heero?

A: Of course! And unlike the others, Duo was reborn with the memories of his past lives. That is why he recognized Adin for who he truly was. My reason for slipping him in was to make sure everyone knew that Adin really was going to be all right.

Q. Okay, Berry. I want to know what happens! How does it end?

A. Happily ever after, of course!

*Berry gets pelted by tomatoes*

Misc.

Q: Now that you are done with this, what is your next GW project?

A: Well, my next Gundam Wing fic will probably be "Crescendo", a lemon/lime I'm working on for the fic contest over at Blissful Ignorance. (www.blissfulignorance.com) After that, I'm working on a compilation fic that will be written by KMF, Iris Anthe, (go read their stuff!) and myself. We haven't decided what it's going to be about yet. We're leaning towards a rendition of a fairytale or legend but who knows what it might end up as. But, rest assured, it will be a 1xR. ^_^ 

Q: Will there be a sequel to this?

A: Dear Mother of Pearl, no! Sequels are highly overrated, at least my sequels are.

Thanks for reading guys! I love you all and I'll see you next time!

Many Happy Readings!

Berry-chan


End file.
